Timeless
by RachelisGiraffe
Summary: Sheik has been training for seven years to protect Link, but as the two grow closer, Sheik begins to uncover dark secrets about himself. Sheik/Link.
1. Chapter 1

They rode for hours without cease; the only sounds were the pounding of the white stallion's hooves on the rain-soaked earth and the claps of distant thunder. The princess clung to the steed's silvery mane while Impa guided the horse relentlessly across Hyrule Field. After many backwards glances at the rapidly fading castle on the horizon, Zelda concluded that Ganondorf had given up the pursuit. A thousand thoughts were bombarding her mind, such as why her father had been foolish enough to trust the fiend to begin with, and what would become of her beloved kingdom. Of all these questions, however, one resounded highest: was she right in entrusting the Ocarina of Time and, more pressingly, the fate of Hyrule with the Kokiri boy? She was certain that Link would triumph, but she couldn't help but wonder how a child could possibly save an entire kingdom on his own._ I must keep faith_, she thought sternly. _Link shall defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule. He must_.

Impa, her guardian and dear friend, kept her crimson eyes glued ahead, not uttering a word to Zelda about their destination, so the princess kept quiet as they rode out of the field and into the rugged mountains, and then out of Hyrule itself. The prospect of leaving her home frightened Zelda, for she had never ventured beyond its borders. With Impa, she knew she would be safe, yet she still found herself tightening her grip on the horse's neck.

The hours passed slowly, the scenery around them changing from rocky ledges to dense forests, and Zelda wondered if her companion knew where she was heading at all. The horse was exhausted, drops of sweat flying from its soaked body as it galloped through the trees. Zelda's eyelids were growing heavy, and she could see stars glistening through the foliage overhead. With the rocking motion of the horse, it took much effort for her not to allow herself to drift off to sleep. Just as she was considering asking Impa when they intended to stop, the Sheikah woman spoke.

"We will rest soon, Highness."

Zelda noticed that the trees were beginning to thin, and the soft soil beneath them was becoming coarse and grainy. All at once, the trees vanished, and they emerged from the forest into an endless ocean of sand. _This must be the Colossus Desert_, thought the princess drowsily as Impa brought the fatigued horse to a stop. The Sheikah glanced around at their surroundings, then steered the horse to the right and began trotting down the line of trees. The ground steadily inclined until a bluff was formed, and after a few minutes of scanning the rocky wall, Impa spotted their destination: a small cave at the base of the cliff.

The steed slowed to a halt, and Impa climbed down from its back, helping the princess down after her. Zelda watched through half-closed eyes as Impa pulled a long metal rod from the saddlebag and stuck it into the sand, then tied the horse to it. Even though she was a small child, Zelda had to crawl on her belly to get through the cave entrance, but once she had squirmed inside, she found it to be much roomier. Impa appeared at her side in the darkness and pulled out a bottle of powder from her bag, then through the substance into the center of the room. It ignited upon impact, and instantly they had a crackling fire, fueled by a pile of old wood that was already set up in the cave. Zelda wondered how many times Impa had been here before.

The princess tucked her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, her eyes glued to her guardian, who was laying out blankets for their bed. For the first time since they had fled the castle, Zelda wanted to cry. She wanted to cry for all of the people whose lives would be destroyed under Ganondorf, and for the dreadful hand that Fate had dealt her beautiful country. The tears came before she could stop them, and despite feeling indignant and wishing she could stop, she emitted a few pitiful sobs. Impa was at her side in a moment, pulling her shaking body close to hers and stroking her long, yellow hair.

"I'm sorry, Impa," whimpered Zelda, dragging her little hands across her reddened face to remove the tears.

"It is alright, Princess," cooed the Sheikah. "One so young should not have to suffer through these dark, terrible times."

Zelda sniffled and let Impa hold her, glad for the comfort of her friend. Her eyes slowly fell shut, and she went limp against the woman's body. Impa waited until she could hear the princess's deep, slow breaths, then gingerly moved the girl to the blankets she had arranged. The Sheikah carefully slipped the princess out of her extravagant dress, now torn and dirty from the long ride, and covered her with a few of the blankets. As she set the little girl down, her blue eyes sprang open, brimming with fear.

"What is wrong, Highness?" asked Impa urgently.

She shook her head slowly. "When I close my eyes, I can see him. I can see his bloody eyes and his sharp teeth. I can see him riding that black horse through Hyrule and killing innocent people with his sword."

The Sheikah frowned and pressed the back of her hand to the princess's forehead. "You feel warm," she observed quietly. "You should rest, Highness."

"I want to, Impa. I'm so tired," said Zelda, and as if to emphasis this, let out a long yawn. "But I don't think I can sleep with that horrible face plaguing my mind." The princess sat upright and looked into the fire, her eyes smoldering with sudden rage. "I hate him, Impa. I hate him more than I can bear. He's ruthless, blood-thirsty, and evil, and I can't stand to imagine the things he's going to do to Hyrule. I want him dead. I want to kill him myself." She curled her hand into a tiny fist and slammed it on the ground, creating a smacking sound that echoed for several moments in the cave.

Impa looked on at her princess with an unreadable expression. Zelda turned to her and snapped, "What? Don't you think I could?"

"There is no doubt, Princess," replied the Sheikah woman, pulling over her bag and rummaging through its contents.

"Certainly, you think me too small, or too young, or too gentle," she carried on. "In any other case, I would agree. But give me a bow and a clear shot, and I'll gladly put an arrow through his cold heart."

Her companion extracted a small vial from her bag full of a strange, glistening fluid like liquid stars. She held it out for Zelda, who accepted it without question, having been cared for by Impa her entire life and trusting her above everyone else. "This will help you sleep," she explained, watching the Princess uncork the bottle and sip its contents delicately. When she had drained it completely, she handed it back and settled down into the bed, curling up beneath the warm blankets.

"Are you really so determined to destroy Ganondorf and regain your kingdom, Princess?"

"Of course, my dear Impa. I'd do anything." Her eyes were already too heavy for her to keep open, so she let them slip closed. "What shall happen to Hyrule?"

"I do not know. Sleep now." Impa's red eyes remained locked on Zelda's pretty little face for several minutes after she had fallen asleep. The lump in the sheets that was her fragile body rose and fell with her steady breaths. Her guardian reached out a bandaged hand and lightly touched the tiny princess's forehead. "Goodbye for now, Princess. I pray you will forgive me."

* * *

_Author's Note: _If you're wondering about the Sheik/Zelda situation, here's a quick explanation. I've got a theory regarding the transformation of Zelda into Sheik, which will be revealed more as the story progresses. Without giving too much away, I will say that technically, they are the same person, but he's unaware of this and acts as himself.  
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	2. Chapter 2

The forest was quiet and peaceful. A dragonfly rested on a blade of soft grass as a fat bumblebee drank from a pink flower beneath a tall, lush tree. High above the underbrush and happily buzzing insects, sitting on a sturdy branch, was a young man playing a shining lyre. With his back against the base of the tree and one leg dangling lazily off the branch, Sheik gently ran his bandaged fingers across the strings, producing sweet little notes that seemed to dissolve into the spring air. He was dressed in a blue suit and was bandaged from head to toe, a large white shawl wrapped around his face so that only his crimson eyes were visible beneath the spiky tufts of blonde hair that protruded from his head wrap. On his chest was an emblem of a red eye with a drop of blood running from it down his torso: the symbol of the Sheikah.

He seemed to be waiting for something, his eyes wandering across the forest floor below as he strummed his lyre. His ears seemed to find what he was looking for before his eyes, for he suddenly stopped playing and leaned forward, listening hard. In the distance, the sound of something stumbling through the brush was disrupting the serenity. He slung his instrument over his shoulder, where it fell into a sling across his back. Sheik stood, balancing on the rough limb, targeted a nearby tree, and leapt across the space, landing steadily on the branch. He continued hopping through the trees, swift and silent, closing in on the source of the noise until he was directly above it. Pausing, he watched the scene below him with some amusement.

"Damn it!" exclaimed the figure below. A boy in green was jabbing at the tangled undergrowth with a magnificent sword, trying to carve himself a path, as a tiny blue fairy darted about in agitation.

"You just _insisted_ this was a shorter route," she was saying. "You _insisted_ you knew your way through this part of the forest!"

He growled and slashed at a thick mess of vines. "I did know how to get through here! I haven't been here in seven years, though, Navi. Everything's different. Damn it!" Link let out a howl as his blade cut a vine that swung up and whipped him across the cheek.

Sheik couldn't stand to watch any longer. He dropped down from his hiding place a few feet away from the Kokiri boy, who immediately whirled around and held up his sword in defense. Upon recognizing his friend, Link sighed with relief and put down his weapon.

"Is that really how the Hero of Time is using the Master Sword?" asked the Sheikah.

"Sheik, you're lucky I didn't cut off your head." Link approached him, grinning brightly. "What're you doing here? Spying on me again?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on you, Hero." The fairy, who had hidden herself behind a tree when Sheik had unexpectedly dropped in, revealed herself again and floated over to the boys. Sheik nodded at her in greeting.

Navi cried out dramatically. "Oh, thank the Goddesses! Our brilliant Hero has gotten us lost. Do you have any idea how to get out of here, Sheik?"

Sheik nodded. "There is an old path this way," he said, gesturing into the trees.

"Ah-ha!" shouted Link. "I knew there was one somewhere around here. I just couldn't remember how to get to it."

"A lot of good it would have done us if we couldn't find it," snapped Navi, floating off in the direction of the path.

Rolling his eyes, Link carried off after her, Sheik following closely behind. The Kokiri slowed his pace to match that of his comrade and examined him closely. "You look tired," he observed. "Have you been sleeping?"

"Keeping watch over you is a full-time job, Hero. Of course, that has not been my only occupation these past days."

Link's long ears twitched curiously. "What've you been doing?"

Sheik rolled his shoulders back, working the stiff joints. "Something that will benefit Hyrule once you rid it of its evil."

"Nothing dangerous, right?"

"Your concern is appreciated, Hero, but unnecessary. You need only worry about yourself."

Link halted, and the Sheikah stopped as well, turning to him in confusion. The frown on Link's face made his usually childish eyes suddenly serious and intent. The change alarmed Sheik, who spoke in the most reassuring voice he could, "I will be fine. I can take care of myself. There is no need to fret."

But it didn't seem to persuade Link. He stepped closer to Sheik and looked into his scarlet eyes, reaching out his hand and placing it lightly on his shoulder. Sheik stiffened at the touch and the sudden proximity, but Link didn't move his eyes away from Sheik's face. "Don't hurt yourself, Sheik."

"I will try not to."

Link shook his head. "I know you don't want me to worry about you, but I do. You're one of my only friends, Sheik. Promise me you won't get yourself hurt."

The intensity of his eyes and the sweetness of his words touched Sheik, and he had the urge to wrap the boy in his arms and comfort him. Poor Link had gone to sleep a child one day and woken up seven years later as a man, and though he tried to live up to the heavy title of Hero of Time, sometimes his childish nature was apparent. Sheik had spent those seven years training and fighting against Ganondorf as best as he could, and as the last surviving Sheikah, he had had to grow up immediately. He was often baffled by how easily Link became emotionally compromised, when he himself never exposed himself. As confusing as it was to him, he also had to admit that there was something about the Hero's openness that he admired.

"Promise?" Link was still staring at him, his hand still touching Sheik's shoulder.

"I promise."

All at once, the playful grin was back on Link's mouth, and he moved away from the Sheikah, who felt his fingers leave his arm with some regret. Sheik followed Link through the bushes, carefully stepping around the thorns and twigs. They found the path, nearly overgrown with clovers and tiny purple flowers, where Navi hovered impatiently.

"Let's go, Link! I want to get to Hyrule Field before night falls!"

Link nodded and looked at Sheik. "Thanks for the help. Are you gonna disappear now?"

"Yes, I must."

"Okay." Link seemed a bit put down, but he smiled at Sheik regardless. "Take care of yourself."

"I will. And I expect the same of you."

Link let out a laugh. "Until next time, Sheik."

"Goodbye for now, Hero." He backed up a pace and raised his arm, a Deku Nut clutched in his fist, and locked eyes with the Kokiri boy for a moment.

"I wish you'd call me Link," he said.

"I will think about it." The next moment, Link was blinded by the flash of light produced by the Deku Nut as it exploded on the soil. By the time he had blinked away the spots clouding his vision, the Sheikah was gone. He looked around at the trees, sighed, and followed Navi down the path.

Sheik had scampered up a tree nearby, and he perched in the foliage for a minute, watching Link disappear through the forest. He then took his lyre from his back and cradled it in his arm. _I must get going, _he thought as he began to play. _The Master will be waiting._


End file.
